Costain Upstream has appointed Eamonn McGennis as its Decommissioning Lead in Aberdeen.

The move has been made in response to a slump in oil prices, which is encouraging operators in the industry to retire outdated facilities.

Mr McGennis has vast experience with the decommissioning process, including retiring the Camelot platform in the southern North Sea.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr McGennis said: "In the past, decommissioning has come almost as a side-product of other jobs.

"Until now, the industry focus has primarily been on new developments, brownfield modifications and platform work, where it has all been about increasing and enhancing existing production.

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"This places a premium on getting the plan right from the start, as changes and modifications do not add value in the same way usually seen in development work. With this mind-set, decommissioning requires a more collaborative effort where all participants must deliver on safety, the environment and costs.

"The age of North Sea oilfields and recent oil price drop has precipitated a lot more decommissioning activity within the oil and gas sector."

Costain has also set up a decommissioning team to take advantage of a predicted rise in new work.

Mr McGennis added: "It will allow us to build upon the decommissioning experience we already have in oil and gas by pulling in expertise from other parts of the Group such as civils and nuclear, where Costain has had a huge amount of experience."

(LM/MH)